Sonos, Inc.

Motorola Solutions, Inc.

Spectrum Bridge, Inc.

Motorola Corporation

Symbol Technologies, LLC

Qualcomm Incorporated

Hrishikesh Gossain

Jeffrey M Peters

Nicholas A J Millington

Steven R Beckhardt

Jonathan P Lang

Manish Shukla

Avinash Joshi

Jeffrey C Schmidt

Gary Fox

Jeff Derderian

Keith J Goldberg

Mark W Triplett

Michael Agerbak

Edwin Joseph Fitzpatrick, Iii

Allan Velzy

Xiang Wang

Brenda Stefani

Jose Graziani

Liang Chai

Benjamin Ari Tober

Joshua Nicholas

Peter Stanforth

Charles R Barker

Robin U Roberts

Mario A Camchong

Sebnem Zorlu Ozer

Arthur L Coburn, Iv

Surong Zeng

Lee Keyser-Allen

Ravindra Guntur

William Vann Hasty, Jr

Heyun Zheng

Sekhar V Uppalapati

Donald L Joslyn

Pankaj Aggarwal

Phuoc Nhu Tang

Ian Chakeres

Benjamin M Rappoport

Shyamal Ramachandran

Stephen P Emeott

Ye Chen

Michael L Johnson

Thomas C Evans

Eric S Reifsnider

Philip Hill

Cheng Lu

Samer S Hanna

Pavan K Rudravaram

Charles W Winner

Zhaoyun Huang

Lawrence Stefani

Nicholas AJ Millington

Sebnew Zorlu Ozer

In one aspect, a computing device is configured to, while operating as a control device of a networked media playback system that includes a first set of network devices and a second set of network devices, (i) transmit a first message to each network device in the first set of network devices, wherein the first message comprises a command to, at a first time, temporarily disconnect from the computing device via a particular communication protocol, (ii) transmit a second message to each network device in the second set of network devices, wherein the second message comprises a command for the network device in the second set of network devices to, at a second time, test connectivity with the computing device; and (iii) after the second time, determine whether each network device in the second set of network devices was connected to the computing device.

Simulation of device removal

Example techniques relate to re-establishing connectivity of playback devices. In an example implementation, a first playback device determines that a first access point has been replaced with a second access point, wherein the first playback device previously established a valid network connection over the first WLAN using first network parameters. The first playback device connects to the second access point, the second access point providing a second WLAN. The first playback device requests, via the wireless network interface from the second access point, an IP address in a second subnet, the second subnet covering a different range of IP addresses than the first subnet and establishes a network connection over the second WLAN using second network parameters stored in the data storage of the first playback device.

Re-establishing player connectivity

Examples described herein involve selecting a group coordinator device for a zone group. An example implementation includes: receiving an instruction to form a zone group comprising the first media device and the second media device; comparing a first one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the first media device to a second one or more communication parameters corresponding to a network connection of the second media device; identifying the first media device as a group coordinator of the zone group based on at least the indication that the first media device communicates with the router over the first communication frequency band; and configuring the first media device to provide data indicating audio content and audio content playback timing information to the second media device to facilitate synchronous playback of the audio content as the group coordinator of the zone group.

Group coordinator selection

An implementation of portable playback device power management involves launching a power coordinator background process, the power coordinator background process having multiple client programs and establishing respective inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms between the multiple client programs and the power coordinator background process. The implementation further involves receiving, via the established IPC mechanisms from the multiple client programs, messages indicating that the respective client program is ready to suspend, and determining that each client program of the multiple client programs is ready to suspend. The implementation further includes sending instructions to the operating system to kernel suspend. While in kernel suspend, the playback device detects a particular trigger to kernel resume and in response, performs a kernel resume.

Portable playback device power management

A first playback is configured to (i) while connected to a local data network via a network interface using a first wireless networking protocol, receive a command to begin communicating with a second playback device in a group of playback devices for synchronous playback, (ii) based on the received command, begin communicating with the second playback device, (iii) determine that the second playback device is connected to the local data network using a second wireless networking protocol, (iv) based the determining, cause the second playback device to operate as a group coordinator of the group of playback devices, wherein the group coordinator (a) receives audio content from an audio source, and (b) transmits the audio content to the first playback device during rendering of the audio content by the group of playback devices, and (v) thereafter, receive the audio content from the second playback device.

A first playback device is configured to (1) determine, based on a group configuration of a synchrony group including the first playback device and a second playback device, that the first playback device, and not the second playback device, is to operate as a group coordinator for the synchrony group, wherein the group coordinator transmits audio content and playback timing information, (2) begin to operate as the group coordinator, (3) while operating as the group coordinator, determine respective battery state variable values for the first and second playback devices, (4) based on the respective battery state variable values, determine that a computing device other than the first playback device is to operate as the group coordinator, and (5) based on the determining, (i) discontinue operating as the group coordinator and (ii) cause the computing device to operate as the group coordinator instead of the first playback device.

Embodiments are provided for utilizing communication routes based operation mode. In an example implementation, while operating in a first operation mode, a playback device may communicate with a second playback device of the networked media system via a first route and a second route. The playback device may determine that the first playback device is to enter a second operation mode. Responsive to the determination, the playback device may (i) transmit, to the second playback device, a message to cause the second playback device to cease communication with the first playback device via the first route, and (ii) operate in the second operation mode.

Communication based on operation mode

Example techniques related to battery-powered playback devices. In an example, a first battery-powered playback device (i) receives audio content from a network device, (ii) forwards the audio content to a second playback device for synchronous playback of the audio content with the second playback device, (iii) plays back the audio content, (iv) detects that a battery level of a battery of the first playback device has fallen below a predefined threshold, and (v) ceases the forwarding of the audio content. After the battery level of the first playback device has fallen below the predefined threshold, the second playback device (i) receives the audio content from the network device, (ii) forwards the audio content to the first playback device for synchronous playback with the first playback device, and (iii) plays back the audio content in synchrony with the first playback device.

Synchronous playback with battery-powered playback device

Examples described herein involve networking in a media playback system. In one aspect, an access point may prevent two or more grouped playback devices from being steered to different networks. In another aspect, an access point may operate as a sleep proxy for a playback device. In a third aspect, an example system may include a fixture configured to receive a bulb. Example bulbs include sound bulbs with one or more audio transducers and access point bulbs, among other examples.

Networking in a media playback system

Systems and methods for maintaining knowledge of a network address (e.g., a MAC address) for a playback device while changing power states are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for maintaining knowledge of the network identity of a playback device while changing power states includes determining that a playback device is entering a sleep state, sending state information from the playback device to a central data repository over a network responsive to the determination that the playback device is entering sleep state, where state information includes a MAC address, receiving the state information about the playback device at a waking device from the central data repository, waking the playback device periodically at predetermined time intervals while in sleep state to listen for messages addressed to the MAC address, and receiving a wake-up message at the playback device from the waking device and responding by changing from sleep to active state.

Network identification of portable electronic devices while changing power states

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to facilitate discovery and remote configuration of content for playback via a multimedia playback network are disclosed. An example method includes facilitating identification of multimedia content being played, the identification including at least one of a content identifier associated with the content and the content itself. An example method includes relaying at least one of the content identifier and the content to a playback system located remotely from a location of the multimedia content playback, at least one of the content identifier and the content remotely added for playback at the playback system.

Remote playback queue

Embodiments are provided for utilizing communication routes based operation mode. In an example implementation, while operating in a normal power mode, a playback device maintains information in a network table, the information includes first information associated with a second playback device of the networked media system and second information associated with a third playback device of the networked media system. The playback device determines that the first playback device is to enter a low power mode to draw less power from a battery of the first playback device relative to the normal power mode, and responsive to the determination, foregoing maintaining of the second information in the network table. Thereafter, the playback device determines that the first playback device is to return to normal power mode; and, and in response, synchronizes with the second playback device based at least in part on the first information for playback of audio content.

A first playback is configured to (i) determine that it is connected to a local data network using a first networking protocol, (ii) receive a command to join a second playback device in a group of playback devices that are configured for synchronous playback of audio content from an audio source, (iii) determine that the second playback device is connected to the local data network using a second networking protocol different from the first networking protocol, (iv) based on determining that the second playback device is connected to the local data network using a second networking protocol different from the first networking protocol, configure the first playback device as a group coordinator of the group of playback devices, and (v) while rendering the audio content, (a) receive the audio content from the audio source and (b) forward at least a portion of the received audio content to the second playback device.

Disclosed herein are playback devices, groups of playback devices, and methods of operating playback devices and groupings thereof to cause the playback devices in a mixed-mode configuration to play audio content in synchrony with each other.

Mixed-mode synchronous playback

Example embodiments involve a standby mode of a playback device. An example implementation involves a first playback device receiving, while an audio processing component of the first playback device is in standby, a first packet over a network. The audio processing component consumes relatively less power in standby compared with not operating in standby. In response to receiving the first packet, the first playback device exits standby, and enters a non-standby mode. Entering the non-standby mode enables the audio processing component of the first playback device. The first playback device also broadcasts over the network a second packet comprising a payload that is associated with a destination address. After receiving the first packet, the first playback device forwards packets to a second playback device. Once the first playback device is no longer forwarding the packets, the first playback device enters standby.

Playback device using standby in a media playback system

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Hrishikesh Gossain